Experiment Using EV To Power Elevator Successful

Hitachi and Nissan Motor recently succeeded in using an electric minicar to power an elevator for almost 15-h straight in an experiment demonstrating how electric vehicles (EVs) can be used as a power source in an emergency, Nikkei Asia reports. Nissan’s Sakura EV with a 20-kWh battery was connected to a six-story building using a special adapter system developed by Hitachi Building Systems, according to the announcement. The elevator was able to move the full height of the building 416 times before the car’s battery fell to 10% capacity, which is the lowest level when supplying power externally. According to the source, Hitachi aims to start selling the adapter this year, targeting companies and municipal governments that are looking to tap EVs for electricity during power outages and other emergencies. The global market for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, which includes connecting EVs to buildings, will expand 7.5 times from 2022 to 2028, Tokyo-based Research Station predicts.